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Greetings from Canada

Karmacharger

By Karmacharger,
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Karmacharger Newbie

Karmacharger

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Hey Everyone, I'm so glad I found you all!! I just entered a "Biggest Loser" contest at my gym to see who could lose the most inches in 10 weeks. So I guess I'm not really trying to body build so much as body dismantle.

 

I've been weight training off and on for about 8 years now with some good success off and on. I have a hard time staying on the wagon. I've been vegetarian for the last 6 years and vegan for a very short while. I gave up eggs over a year ago and phased dairy out recently. I also gave up sugar four months ago tomorrow. At times, I'll have treats sweetened with maple or brown rice syrup or barley malt but that's it. No stevia, no agave nectar, nothing artificial, nada. I'm also attempting to train while eating a macrobiotic diet. I've upped the protein slightly and decreased the grains but overall am feeling pretty good. My trainer, who I love, was trying to get me away from the vegan lifestyle, suggesting fish a few times a week. I thought about it and then looked up how much protein legumes and tofu provide and realised, I don't need to go there. I can do this the vegan way and show him it can be done.

 

I'm hoping to lose between 10 and 15lbs over the next ten weeks and maybe an inch per body part... except my calves, they've measured the same forever!

 

The contest started this past Monday and I've put in only three days at the gym. Today was a forced rest day because I came down with something last night. My goal is to do another full body work out and two hours of cardio before the weekend is over.

 

Once again, I have to say, I'm so glad this community exists! And, I too want a vegan hat. It will go nice with my "I make boys cry." t-shirt.

 

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Lean and Green Newbie

Lean and Green

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Hey, very cool, contests and challenges can really motivate you. I'm glad you stuck with veganism despite your trainer's comments to consume fish. Way to stand on your own two feet to maintain a lifestyle that works for you.

 

Just so you know, agave and stevia are definitely natural, is it just that you don't care for the taste of them or that you thought they were artificial?

 

Agave nectar is basically the sap of a cactus that grows predominantly in south america but in mexico as well. It's no more unnatural than maple syrup. The have been fermenting it to make tequila for ages, way before it became popular as a sweetening agent. I think it tastes fantastic, probably my favorite of any sweetener. The downside is that it has a fair amount of calories and if you overconsume, it can put on extra calories into your diet.

 

Stevia is nothing more than a mere harmless herb. They take the leaves, dry them and crush them into a powder form. Many places process it into a white powder but I don't deal with that stuff. You can obtain plain old dried herb powder just as easily online. In fact you can even buy the whole leaves dried or even fresh plants to grow on your own to use as needed. It can be a bit gritty in liquids but goes well in recipes. A little bit goes a long way. Best of all, it's calorie free....

 

I believe I get mine from http://www.herbaladvantage.com and it's sooo cheap.

 

Hope this info wasn't old news to you but I wanted to clarify just in case.

 

Kick some butt in that contest and I look forward to your dieting down and training.

 

Welcome!

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Im Your Man Newbie

Im Your Man

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Hi and welcome ! There's more and more Canadians on the forums here.

 

Good luck with your contest. You have the best tools to win, with the forums here and the diet you chose.

Vegan diet and raw veganism are the best way to lose weight. Direct energy to the cells, no cholesterol, low fat and very low saturated fats.

You make a good decision by staying away from fish.

Nutritionists have been saying it's a good alternative to meat, claiming it's healthier because of the Omega-3 frenzy. Flax seeds are way better source of good fats.

So people eat 600% more fish than 50 years ago. Truth is fish are full of heavy metals espescially the ones that people eat the most : predators like salmons and tuna that eat plenty of small fish full of heavy metals. Fish rots faster than meat under the sun, samething in the body for 3 days. And fish IS meat, so it's not good at all.

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DV Newbie

DV

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Welcome Karmacharger!

 

Good luck with the contest!

 

As a relatively new vegan, you should definitely check out the nutrition section of the forum. There are pitfalls in any diet and a vegan one is no exception. Educate yourself and you will be one of the long-term healthy vegans.

 

Looking forward to your posts.

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Karmacharger Newbie

Karmacharger

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Just so you know, agave and stevia are definitely natural, is it just that you don't care for the taste of them or that you thought they were artificial?

 

Agave nectar is basically the sap of a cactus that grows predominantly in south america but in mexico as well. It's no more unnatural than maple syrup. The have been fermenting it to make tequila for ages, way before it became popular as a sweetening agent. I think it tastes fantastic, probably my favorite of any sweetener. The downside is that it has a fair amount of calories and if you overconsume, it can put on extra calories into your diet.

 

Stevia is nothing more than a mere harmless herb. They take the leaves, dry them and crush them into a powder form. Many places process it into a white powder but I don't deal with that stuff. You can obtain plain old dried herb powder just as easily online. In fact you can even buy the whole leaves dried or even fresh plants to grow on your own to use as needed. It can be a bit gritty in liquids but goes well in recipes. A little bit goes a long way. Best of all, it's calorie free....

 

Thanks for the tip about agave and stevia! To be honest, I really can't stand the taste of stevia. I find it overly sweet that it has an after taste. Ever since I gave up sugar, I have an aversion to really sweet things. I actually have two containers of agave nectar at home... I used to like it as a sweetener but as part of a macrobiotic diet, it's not one of the permitted sweeteners. Even though maple syrup is permitted, it's only supposed to be an occasional thing because of it's effect on blood sugar. I think it is chosen over agave because it does not come from a tropical climate and in macrobiotic theory, one is supposed to eat as locally and as close to their "climatic conditions" as possible. The brown rice syrup and barley malt come from whole grains and are consider complex sugars; their sweetness is more subtle and more suitable for everyday use... according to macrobiotic theory.

 

As if being a vegan wasn't hard enough, I had to go throw that into the mix as well.

 

Wish me luck and thanks for the support and the warm welcome!!

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Mike Newbie

Mike

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Karmacharger!! What a cool username! I'm glad you found the group. Since you've joined a weight-loss competition, there are some areas on here where you can post your routine and also post before and after pics. Posting your progress/training on the forum can be a great way to keep you motivated and get helpful advice. Best of luck in your competition. We're rooting for you!

 

Mike

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Karmacharger Newbie

Karmacharger

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Karmacharger!! What a cool username! I'm glad you found the group. Since you've joined a weight-loss competition, there are some areas on here where you can post your routine and also post before and after pics. Posting your progress/training on the forum can be a great way to keep you motivated and get helpful advice. Best of luck in your competition. We're rooting for you!

 

Mike

 

I will definitely post my routine but I'm not yet sure I'm ready to post any before pictures. We'll see where I'm at by week 5 and then I'll give a visual updated.

 

I'm excited about writing my journal on here. I'll transfer it on Monday when I have all of last week's entries.

 

Thanks again!

 

I'm already feeling inspired!!

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